Knob attachment for steering wheels



1,522,879 1.. G. GREGORY KNOB ATTACHMENT FOR STEERING WHEELS Jew/Zara? Filed July 25, 1924 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STA LOS ANGELES, C (10., DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

LEONARD G. GREGORY, OF

TES PATENT OFFICE.

ALIFOBNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WM GREGORY A COPARTNERSHIP.

KNOB ATTACHMENT FOR STEERING WHEELS- Application filed July 23, 1924. Serial No. 727,676.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, LEONARD G. GREGORY,

a citizen of the l and State of California,

tain new and-useful Attachments for Steering thelfollowing is a specification.

invention relates generally to the steering wheels of motor vehicles, and more partic'ula rly to an attachment in the nature of a knob or handle that is adapted to be secured to the rim portion of a steering wheel and which knob o readily ihandle may be and comfortably engaged or gripped by. the operators' hand, consequently enabling the steering wheel to be operated to greater advantage and with less efl'ort than where the hand is directly applied to the rim of the steering wheel.

Further objects of any invention are to provide a steering wheel knob or handle that may be readily applied to or removed from the rims of steering cles, to form the may be wheels of motor vehiknob or handle so that it comfortably gripped by the operator s hand, to provide the knob attachment with means for taking up any wear and for reventing rattling while the vehicle with which the device is associated is in operation, to provide a steering wheel knob attachment that will not engage 'or catclnupon the clothing of the operator while the steering wheel ,is being manipulated or while the operator is entering or to provide a scribed that isrelatively leaving the car, and, further, device of the character desimple,

strong and durable in structure and which may be easily and cheaply produced.

.With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in the features combination and arheremafter. more fully of construction and rangement of parts described and claimed. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle steering wheel having a knob attachment of my improved thereto;

attachment in position upon wheel;

construction applied Figure 2 is an elevational view of the knob the steering Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

lte'terrmg by numerals to the accompzurvin; drawings, which embodiment of my inven a plate. preferably formed of metal. having illustrate a practical tlon, ll) designates its under surface made concave in cross section in order that it upper curved surfa e mg wheel. .\n v sin may be fitted onto the ot the run it of a steertable attaching means inay he used for securing the plate 10 to the steering wheel rmnallhough as illustrated I prefer to use i'aste screws 11 that apertures In uing means which has pass through suitably located the end portions of plate 10 and which enter the body of rim R.

Formed integral withand projecting upwardly from the central portion of plate 1o a post or pin which Is formed 12in the upper an axially disposed threadpOrti'On of ed bore 13, and formedbetween the lower portion of is a conlcal-shoulder said; post and the topof plate 10 or bearing surface 14.

The knob or handle 15 forming part of my invention is preferably formed of hard rubber, compressed fibre.

bakelite,

or analogous material, and the body of said knob ispref- -erably shaped somewhat similar to an ordinary door knob and of a size that will fit readily within the hand.

Passing through of the knob an sleeve 16, preferably the post or standard of this sleeve 16 is countersunk and beveled, as, designated by 17, so

the center of the body d rigidly fixed thereinis a of metal, that receives 12, and the lower end as to fit on the conical shoulder or hearing 14. Formed in theupper portion of the body of the knob 15 and directly above the upper end of sleeve 16 is a circular recess annular anti-friction 18 in which is arran ed an bearing 19, pre erably of thetype utilizing small/hard metal balls. Passing through this annular anti-friction bearing 19 and enteri threaded bore 13 is the threaded shank 20 of a screw having a head 21 that recess 18, and the screw head 21 is that normally 15 on the post or st occupies the upper formed on the under side of bears on of the housing of anti-fraction bearln .ThlS screw is 811801311 8111 retaining the conical shoulder 22 the rotating portion 19. ob andard 12, and whenportlon of ever necessarysaid screw may be tightened to take up any'wear that may-occur between the lower end'of sleeve 16 and the shoulder 14 and likewise any-wear that may occlur in the anti-friction-bearing 19.

Knob'15 rotates freely upon the post or standard 12 and when said knob is gripped by the hand it is a comparatively easy matter to' rotate the'steering wheel in either direction.

The knob attachment may bepositioned at any desired point on top ot the steering:

wheel rim R, but, for convenience andobtain best results",,I prefer to locate'said knob on the left hand portion ofthe steer=.

ing wheel when the latter is setorpositioned so that the machinepis being driven directly forward. When so positioned, the knob may beconvenientlyengaged .by the left hand of the driver and when so engaged the steering wheel may be readily rotated in either direction with comparatively little efi'o'rt and without engaging or catching on the clothing of the operator. To facilitate manipulation of the screw that retains the knob on the post or standard a recess or slot such as 23 is formed in the upper surface of the head of said screw.

If desired,- suitable means may be provided "for locking the screw to the post or standard 12, which docking means must necessarily be released when the screw is adjusted to take up -wea rj or tighten the anti-friction bearing. Bythus lpcking the screw to the- .post or standardgrs'aid screw will not be rotated as a resulti'of-the rotary-motion of the knob upon'the post or standard.

A steering wheel knob attachment of; my

improved ;construction' is comparatively simple, may be easily and cheaply. produced,

wheels comprising-a plate adapted to beleaving the vehicle, and said knob greatly facilitatesthe manipulation oi the steering wheel particularly when the vehicle is be-' ing manipulated or driven backward or forward within a comparatively small area.

Itwill be read-ily understood that various minor changes in the form, size and c on-v struction of my improved steering wheel knob attachment may be made without departing from the spirit of my, invention,

means arranged between said'knob ahdpost for taking upwear between saidparts and preventing rattling of the knob upon said "post.

2.1} knob attachment for vehicle steering wheelscom'prising a plate adapted to be attached to the rim of a steering wheel, a

post projectin upwardly fromsaidplate, a knob rotative y arranged on sai post,

-means for retaining the knob on said post,

and an. antiafriction bearing arran ed between said retaining means and-sai knob, 3. A knob attachment for vehicle steering wheels comprising -a plate adapted to be secured'to the rim of a steering wheel, apost projecting upwardly from said plate, a conical shoulder between said post and plate, a knob mounted for rotation upon said post, and an inclined annular bearing on the lower 'end of said knob which is adapted to engag'e'said conical shoulder.

' 4. A knob attachment for vehicle steering wheels. comprisinga plate adapted to be secured to'the rim of the-steering wheel, a

post projecting, upwardly from said plate, a knob mounted for rotation upon 'sa1dpost, and means for taking up wear between said post and knob and for preventing rattling of the knob upon said post.

5. Aknob attachment for vehicle steering applied; to a steerin wheel rim, a post project-ing upwardly om said plate, a knob mounted for rotation on said post and provided in its upper portion with a recess, an anti-friction bearing arranged within said 'recess, and means adapted to. engage said post and said anti-frictlon bearmg for re-v taining the knob onsaid post,

In testimony whereof I alfir: my signature,

LEONARD G. enneonr. 

